toying with the idea, there seem to be quite a few out there, though the right color combo is tough.

So, for an average condition (body 6.5/ interior 7 or better) and 170k miles (assume all works except for ignition and a/c) what's a fair price. Assume color combo is not one's first choice but that mech. parts are more impt. than body parts.

Pulling a car to bits must be a real mission if it is not your trade. My wife would kill me if I suggested our backyard should become an undone 126 jigsaw puzzle. Then their is the time/labour thing involved in the parting work, identifying all those bits, and recognising the still useful stuff from the junk. Yeah, a parts car to me is not worth divorce!.

If you can pick it up cheap, you can use the bits you need, sell those you don't and at least breakeven or even make a nice return.

There are certain parts that will sell easy : front wings (if they are good), headlamps, instrument cluster, switches, wood, wing mirrors, alloy wheels and even the interior.

Certain other parts are really only worth dismantling for a breaker, like window regulators, suspension components - unless you have someone who is looking for these there and then. Breakers can store these parts forever - but like Shrimpton said, keeping lots of parts / scrap metal ni the garden may cause a few domestics :-)

If you pick up the car for $500 you should easily make that back in parts sales - but also consider the cost of collecting and then scrapping the car once you have finished.

Finally, I think it's the best way of learning about these cars - buy a breaker and take it apart. It's the best manual !

I am onboard with Talbir and Shrimpton: turning the backyard into a junkyard will not endear me with the wife unit nor the neighbors. I have no desire to pull suspension or transmission components, nor many body parts for that matter. Just, the easy popular stuff Talbir mentions. I can break even in a few months just by not having to buy other people's parts.

It is a great manual. By looking at 89 SE's I learned that sunvisors dropping off their mounts is actually quite common - though not common on G1's.